Unmasking The Truth
by BabeRuthless87
Summary: Alixiah, or Alix as she's known to friends, has been having the same dream for the past year, feeling a draw to this mysterious man. But what if it's not really a dream at all? She leaves Sam and Dean when she's called to Mystic Falls to help with the Katherine situation. There she learns this she never saw coming.
1. Early Morning Confessions

**Author Note: Sorry it has been so long since I've updated this story. I've been dealing with some personal issues that overtook my ability to write...plus I was trying to figure out how I wanted the next chapter to flow...so I thought about going through each chapter and re-writing (I know...it's my OCD..things need to be perfect before I stop fucking with it.) And I've finally gotten the plot all written out and should have the newest chapter up by the end of the week. Anyway...so Thanks for bearing with me, I appreciate all the likes and reviews...I hope this appeases the Guest reviewer...to know that at least there will be a new chapter soon. So...onwards...**

_"Well she lives in a fairytale, somwhere too far for us to find. Forgotten the taste and smell of a world that she's left behind."-Paramore "Brick By Boring Brick"._

I awoke from my slumber with a start, gasping as my heart beat wildly against my chest while a light sheen of sweat coated my body. Yawning as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I sighed as I remembered what had awoken me. It was that dream again...the same damn dream that's been haunting me for the past year. It didn't make sense; the dream never seemed to make any sense regardless of the countless times I'd experienced it.

For some reason the setting for the dream was always a castle, filled with people I didn't recognize, though they felt strangely familiar to me. The candles and fireplace illuminated the room and corridors; women adorned in dressed make from deep, lush fabrics as they danced around the room, hoping to be noticed. In that moment, it was as if the crowd had been parted by some unseen force, that **he** makes his appearance. The unknown man with his hypnotic brown eyes that seemed to peer beneath the skins' surface and straight into your soul; his wavy brown hair that cascaded to his shoulders, with little wisps framing his refined features. As his eyes locked onto mine, I felt this deep pull inside of me...like I should know who is he or was...but I came up empty...it was almost like his name was on the tip of my tongue, but I could form the word.

It continued like this each and every night, the same scene replaying over and over like a televised re-run, but sometimes on rare occasions...the scene would subtlely grow longer, showing me just a little bit more...like it was sub-consciously trying to get me to figure out the plot. Whenever the scene would finish playing out, I would wake up...gasping and sweaty as my heart would beat furiously, and I would remember nothing intricate aside from the small little things. The man was the only exception.

Throwing back the sheets, I shook my head in hopes of clearing my thoughts, as I scooted myself over to the edge of the bed, planting my feet down on the lush carpet. Stretching my arms above my head, I craned my neck to glance at the clock on the mahogany nightstand.

**4:15 A.M.**

I rolled my eyes, letting out a disgruntled groan as I slumped my arms against the bed. _Well then, looks like there's no going back to sleep for me._ See, my body over the years had developed this truly annoying habit of once I was awake, didn't matter what time it was, the moment my eyes opened, my body refused to let me go back to sleep. You see why I'm a little disgruntled with the early hour.

I pushed myself up off the bed, padding softly over to the lounge chair where I had haphazardly tossed my bathrobe a few hours prior during my trek to bed. I picked it up, shirking it on as I walked to the door, turning the knob gently so it didn't creak. With the door opened, I walked out into the dimly lit hallway, tiptoeing my way to the stairs.

Despite my best effort to use gentle steps, the wood protested with a loud groan from under my weight, causing me to scowl and swear vehemently under my breath. As I quickly took the last remaining steps, I made a mental note to talk to Damon about getting someone in to take a look at them.

When I reached the bottom landing, I turned to face the large open sitting room, seeing the fire from last night still roaring in the vacant room. _Can we say fire hazard?_ I crossed the room, heading towards the table hidden behind the large leather couch, smirking as I saw the small silver flask. I picked it up, knowing immediately who it belonged to, which meant that the contents of this flask was from his personal secret stash.

As I picked up a glass, filling it with a small amount of the brown liquid, I felt a familiar presence behind me. Without bothering to turn around to see who it was, I spoke.

"Hello Damon." I smirked to myself, turning around when I didn't receive a response from him. The stunned look upon his face caused me to chuckle.

"How in the hell do you do that?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Oh come on, Damon." I scoffed. "After all these years of friendship, you still haven't figured out that I can sense you?" I huffed, pretending to be hurt by his lack of observation during our relationship.

"Oh no, sweetness. I remember you being able to do it, I'm just trying to figure out the how part." He explained.

"You know, I really don't know...probably one of the many perks I inherited from my father." I shrugged, taking a sip from my glass, relishing in the bourban's slow burn. I could feel Damon's watchful gaze taking in the sight before him.

"A little early to be hitting the bottle, isn't it?" He remarked sarcastically as he manuvered around me, fixing himself a glass. He let out an audible growl as he found his flask nearly empty.

"Oh, like you're one to talk." I scoffed, motioning to the glass in his hand. "If you would carry coffee in that big ass kitchen of yours, I wouldn't have to siphone your bourbon." I turned away from him, stalking over to the couch, planting myself on the far end as I curled my knees up against my chest.

I'd only been back in Mystic Falls for a little over 24 hours, and it had already been crazy with everything that was going on surrounding Katherine. The last time I was back here in Mystic Falls was around the 1870's, which is when I first met the Salvatore brothers. I was happy to come back and help out, needing a breather from demons and the impending Apocalypse. Of course, as soon as Katherine's name was mentioned...it was a done deal for me. I guess you could say there was some bad blood between us...and that was putting it mildly.

Damon flashed to the fireplace, leaning his weight against it as he stared into the flickering flames of the fire, the shadows of those flames dancing across his visibly distraught features. I knew that Katherine's mysterious reappearance was taking its toll not only on him, but those close to him as well. That woman was like the fucking black plague with her destruction on the innocent.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I suggested softly, knowing that he would more than likely refuse, but still placing the offer on the metaphoric table. He looked conflicted, signaling that he was inwardly debating my offer.

I frowned as I saw him quickly drain the remainder of his drink in one gulp, tossing the empty glass harshly into the flames. He turned towards me, swiftly moving to the empty seat next to me, cradling his head against my shoulder like a scolded child.

"I'm tired of talking about things." He groaned. "Everyone wants me to open up and 'express' my deep, dark feelings. Can't we just skip the touchy, feely Dr. Phil session and discuss why you're up at the ass crack of dawn?" Damon suggested, justting out his bottom lip in a pouting fashion, enticing my to give in.

That's the thing about Damon, he's great at deflection. He seems to possess this innate ability to flip the conversation when he wants to avoid talking about things. I couldn't help but snort at his feeble attempt to charismatically persuade me, but I humored him and changed the direction of the conversation. I knew deep down that it would be easier to let him win rather than trying to pry any further.

"I couldn't sleep." I sighed. "I keep having this dream, and it mind fucks me every time."I stole another sip from my glass as Damon snaked my unoccupied hand from my lap, seemingly overcome with a sudden fascination with my fingers.

"What do you mean?" He asked, not bother to lift his gaze from whatever game he was engrossed in with my fingers.

"It feels like I'm in someone else's body, surrounded by people in this castle like structure. I mean, I swear to you, I've never seen these people before in my life, but for some ridiculous reason...they seem really familiar." I replied as I gently pulled my hand away from his, wanting Damon's undivided attention for this semi-serious conversation. "Does that make any sense, or do I sound like a babbling crazy person?"

A strange look flashed across Damon's face as he thought upon his answer, a smirk appearing on his lips as he found the perfect answer to my question.

"You might sound like a crazy person to 'outsiders' but to me...it sounds like some pretty heavy shit that I am waaaay too sober to try and decipher. I mean, seriously? Inception much?" Damon snickered, earning him a glare.

Damon had always referred to people who weren't in our immediate circle of friends as 'outsiders', hell, I think he referred to anyone that wasn't him or me as that as well...seeing as how close we'd grown over the years. Up until 15 years ago, we were practically inseparably.

"Oh ha, ha...very funny, douche." I retored. "Though I think you might be onto something about that sober business. I still wouldn't rule crazy off the chalkboard...especially after all the shit I've seen." I joked, more for Damon's benefit than mine.

"And now that the box of worms has been opened, I've been meaning to ask you about that." Damon informed, focusing his gaze upon mine.

"Ask me about what?" I asked cautiously. I kind of figured out where this conversation was heading, and it wasn't one that I was particularly keen on having.

"About all the things you've seen." He simply stated, causing my eyebrow to raise. "Oh come on, babe, you gotta tell me what's out there in the big bad world." He pleaded.

I sighed, resigning myself to searching my brain for the best explanation fo what I had seen during the last couple years. How in the hell do you explain to a **vampire** that he was the least of anyone's problems? How there is a whole sub-species of vampires wandering around out there? Honestly, how do I tell a creature of the night that they should fear the darkness, for what lurks in that darkness is something that makes your worst possible nightmares look like lollipops and unicorns?!

"Do you remember when you were a kid, and all the older folks would gather 'round and tell a bunch of folktales? I mean, did you ever read books on mythlogical creatures and stuff?" Damon blinked before nodding for me to continue. "Well, I think that covers a fraction of what's out there. I've seen things that the elders of my time used to talk about."

We sat in silences as Damon took in the information I had just unloaded onto him, looking into the fire. During our years of friendship, I had confided in Damon what I was...well, to a point. I gave him the cliff notes version, you know, giving him the gist without giving him too much detail. During this past year, we hadn't kept in contact as much...didn't help that I was constantly on the road with my adoptive brothers. But even though I trusted Damon with my life...I couldn't tell him the real reason behind me coming back...that this time...I was the thing being hunted.

Damon's gaze eventually returned to me, opening his mouth to say something when he was cut off due to the loud vibration of my cellphone, which was coming from my robe pocket. I shifted around, finally able to retrieve it as I glanced down at the number.

_Sam calling..._

My heart rate started to pick up as I saw his name flash across the touch screen. I had only been gone 24 hours...what could possibly have happened that warranted a phone call at 5 in the morning.

"I'm sorry to bolt on you, but I need to answer this." I apologized as I stood up, quickly 'zapping' myself back into the room I was using. I tried to keep my breathing under control as I answered.

"Hello?"

"Alix? It's Sam." _Ladies and gentleman, my brother...the former Stanford pre-law student._

"I figured that part out when your name flashed across my phone, saying 'Sam calling.'" I retorted sarcastically as I moved to sit down on the edge of the bed, propping myself up on my elbows.

"Do you always have to be such a smartass?! Jesus, you're like the female Dean." He scolded.

"Hey now! You gave me an opening, I simply took it." I smiled. "Now what's up?"

"Nothing really, I just...uh...wanted to talk to you, you know. I've missed you." There was something about Sam's tone that caused me to narrow my eyes. Something about his nervous tone that indicated this wasn't a social call.

Sam was lying through his damn teeth.

"Really?" I scoffed. "I've only been gone one day, Sam. I highly doubt that you miss me **that** much." I argued. Sam's frustrated sigh confirmed my suspicions. "So, you want to come clean about why you called me?"

Sam cleared his throat, which he only ever did for two reasons; one: he happened upon an embarrassing and potentially life scarring event (i.e. waling in on Dean having sex with the DoubleMint twins) or two: he was about to lay some heavy shit on you and you weren't going to like it. My money was on the latter.

"I forgot just how blunt you can be." He murmured. "So, I've been talking to Bobby about your, uh, dreams." He admitted sheepishly, causing me to bolt upright on the bed.

"Damn it, Sam!" I exclaimed. "What part of 'let's keep this between us' did you misunderstand?!"

"Hear me out, Ali." Sam pleaded. "The only reason I brought Bobby into this was because I wanted someone to bounce my theory off of." He explained as I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose in annoyance. _At least he kept Dean and Cas out of it...at least I hope he did._

"You mind explaining this grand theory of yours to me, Oh Great One?" I sniped.

"Well, I think the reason you're having this dream over and over is because it's not a dream. I think that it could be a memory from a long time ago. I think something happened to you, which would explain why you don't recognize the people or the surroundings, but why they feel familiar." Sam theorized. Yeah, his theory sucked balls...instead of making sense...it caused me to have more questions.

"And what's Bobby's take on all this?"

"Well, he agrees with me." _Of course he does...why can't shit ever be simple?!_

"Alright, let's say for argument's sake that your theory, which I think is crazy as hell, is correct, I'm reliving some deeply repressed memories. What the hell happened to me that would cause me to lose parts of my memory?" I asked, feeling deeply frustrated at the tiny baby steps I was making.

"That's the million dollar question, Alix. Maybe...maybe someone or something purposely tampered with your brain, maybe you pissed someone off a long time ago. You're quite old, Alix...we can't rule out any possibility." I didn't miss the humor that laced through the tail end of his sentence...thinking he was so sly. Oh, I read between the lines asshole.

"You know what, I'm going to overlook the fact that you just called me an old woman, simply because I am far more interested in knowing if these are real memories of mine, is there a way that I can regain them?"

"Bobby thinks you can, but that would require a witch's help." _Well, lookey here...there's a bright side to things after all._

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I happen to know a witch then." I boasted. "But that is going to sit on the back burner until later. I need to keep my focus on the current sitation at the moment."

"Speaking of which, how's it feel to be back?" Sam inquired.

Sam knew about my ties to this town, he just didn't know that the town also had a small vampire population...didn't need him and Dean barreling into town.

"Well, there's never a dull moment when you're here, that's for sure." I joked. "How are things on your end?"

The sad thing about my timing for needing a break was that it coincided with my brothers splitting up as well. Since everything happened with the starting of the Apocalypse...things had been tense, down-right strained between the two of them. Sam blamed himself, which if you looked at it from a third person perspective...you'd agree with him, but he was under the influence of demon blood at the time, which really warped his perspective.

"Quiet, if you can believe that." He chuckled. "I got a job working as a busboy at a bar...not a hunter bar, but just a regular bar with regular patrons. Hell, there's a girl that keeps chatting me up every time we work together...how's that for normal?" I didn't even attempt to hide the cackle that flew from my mouth as I imagined Sam, hauling ass around the bar in a busboy get up. But what really made it that much funnier was picturing him being all awkward as Chatty Cathy talked up a storm.

"You better watch yourself around her; you have a tendancy to attract the uber crazies." I snickered.

"And you think you attract better? Come to think of it...I can't remember you ever having a date." Sam retorted, causing me to gasp in mock shock.

"Just because I haven't dated in a while, doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about. It just means that I haven't found someone who meets or exceeds my standards." I huffed, rolling my eyes even though I knew he could see it.

"You and your damn standards...I hope that keep you warm during those long, lonely nights. Listen Alix, I need to go, but you better take care of yourself...and if you need anything, anything at all, you call me." Sam replied.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll be sure to say no to drugs and eat all my vegetables, _Mom_." I teased, unable to resist throwing one last smartass comment at him.

"God, you are such a pain in my ass." Sam groaned. "But I love you none the less."

"Damn straight you do."


	2. Be Careful What You Wish For

**Author Note: Same as before...I own nothing minus the OC. Although I want to credit the writers of the episode 'Rose' as I used some of the dialogue...anyway...enjoy.**

_"Be careful what you wish for, her mind thundered."-Julia Quinn_

Well, tonight turned into quite the eventful evening after all, more so than I had originally thought. After learning this morning from the blonde baby vampire, Caroline I think her name was, that Katherine was planning to cause quite the scene at the upcoming masquerade ball unless she got this so-called 'moonstone'.

I didn't understand why a 500 year-old vampire would go to such dramatic lengths over a fucking stone...but then again this was Katherine Pierce we were talking about.

I somehow ended up being rigged into attending, making sure it was duly noted that I wasn't going to be held responsible for my actions if the chance arose to get that little drama queen alone. But alas, my hopes and dreams were shot down as I was delegated the role of back-up should things get out of control; essentially leaving me with Bonnie and Jeremy.

_Did I happen to mention that I am not a fan of large groups of people? Yeah, bad things tend to happen if I'm amongst a large group...they tend to put me on edge._

I have to give credit to the ever sly Elena for showing up out of nowhere like a fucking ninja, while Stefan and Damon were occupied with their 'kill Katherine' plan. That said plan ended up making this situation more complicated, as usual.

Katherine, being the 'prepared for anything' kind of girl, apparently elisted a witch to link her to Elena, ensuring that she cause her human doppelganger as much pain and suffering with every injury the Salvatores inflicted upon Katherine.

Why is it that no one bothered to listen to me when I clearly pointed out earlier that Katherine was the type of girl to have a back-up plan for her back-up plan? That this girl is a survivor through and through, if one plan fails, she's clever enough to think fast on her feet, which makes her all the more dangerous and unpredictable.

I believe the old saying goes, _"Damaged people are dangerous because they know they can survive."_

Thankfully Bonnie was able to track down the witch who cast the spell, forcing her to break it. While Damon was left to dispose of an unconscious Katherine into the underground tomb, Stefan left to do some much needed damage control, entusting me with a visibly shaken Elena.

I walked with her out to the lake, which set not too far from the Lockwood Mansion. As we walked in silence, I took the opportunity to asset her injuries, noticing how she wrapped her arms protectively around herself.

"How are you feeling...**really**?" I inquired, breaking the silence before it became deafening.

Elena halted her steps at my question, turning to look at me; her lips ready with the same 'I'm fine' bullshit she had been feeding to everyone else. I knew she wasn't okay, but I needed for her to verbally admit it to herself. I have her a hard look, silently telling her that I wasn't going to buy anything but the honest to God truth.

"I'm tired...and I hurt like hell." She admitted softly with a sigh. "But I'm also afraid that something is going to happen to those I care about because of me. I...I need to stop being selfish with what I want."

I nodded my head, giving her an understanding look as she turned back, looking at the lake again. During that slight movement, I heard her sharp intake of breath, seeing her face contort in pain, which she quickly tried to mask.

"Do...do you want me to heal your wounds?" I couldn't believe the words had actually left my mouth.

_What the fuck?! Are you crazy? Do you not remember our little talk about not drawing attention to ourself?_

Elena looked back at me, eyes wide in an almost horrifed manner, as if I had just offered her my blood or something. I quickly spoke to correct her silent assumption.

"I'm not going to feed you my blood, Elena. I'm not a vampire if that's what you're wondering." I amended. She looked thoroughly surprised and confused at my words, probably thinking that I had just read her mind, when in reality it was her facial expressions that gave it away.

"Are you a witch?" She asked nervously. Okay, that one made me chuckle.

"What?! God no. I mean, I do have knowledge of magic, but no...I'm not a witch." I answered. "I guess you could say I'm something similar to a guardian angel." I shrugged.

How I got through that with a straight face, I will never know. _Guardian angel, not even remotely._

Elena still eyed me warily, not entirely sure if she should trust me, not that it bothered me much...seeing as it came with the territory.

Taking action before she could refuse, I lifted my hand up, gently pressing two fingers against her forehead momentarils as I felt the familiar warmth leave my fingertips, flowing into her body. The effects of the sensations caused her body to start swaying slightly.

And just as soon as it started, it came to an end.

"What was that?" She asked hazily.

"One of my many talents, Miss Gilbert. Now, tell me, how do you feel?" I smirked, knowing the answer was going to be different from when I first asked.

"Better, much better actually. How did you do that?" Elena asked, astounded at what had just taken place.

"Like I said before, Elena, it's one of my many talents. Maybe one day when this is all over, I'll sit down and tell you all about it." I smiled warmly at her before I sighed. "But for now, I must do the same thing you are doing, keeping those near and dear to me safe by divulging as little about myself as possible."

Elena nodded, flashing me a sympathetic look. From behind Elena, I noticed a figure making their way towards us. Shifting my gaze up, I realized it was Stefan approaching, his eyes glued to Elena. Looking back down at her, I gave her a nod towards his direction before leaving them to their privacy.

I waited off in the distance, biding my time until they finished. Earlier, I had insisted Elena at least let me drive her home, providing her the chance to gather her thoughts before being bombarded by the family inquisition squad that awaited her at home.

Turning my attention back to the couple, I frowned as Stefan walked away, the look of heartbreak yet understanding etched upon his face. Damn it, it really broke my heart to watch their relationship crumble over something as stupid as a stone.

I gave Elena a few more minutes alone before rejoining her. I placed my hand upon her shoulder, offering her some sort of comfort as I knew to some extent what she was going through.

Enjoying the stillness of the night, we took in everything that had happened over the last few days. I could tell it was starting to affect her, and I wasn't sure how much fight this young girl was going to have if the hits kept on coming.

The sound of a twig snapping behind me brought me out of my thoughts. I jerked my head to see what had caused the noise when I felt the stining sensation on the back of my neck.

It felt as if everything was in slow-motion as my limbs began to feel increasingly heavy. I desperately tried to cling to Elena, who was fighting against who or what had grabbed onto her. Despite the fact that I was fight against it, my body was becoming dead weight as my vision grew darker and darker with each fleeting moment. It wasn't long until total darkness embraced me like an old friend.

******A FEW HOURS LATER******

When I awoke from my dreamless slumber, I was aware of two things, both of which irritated the hell out of me.

One: I was bound and gagged in the back of what I assumed to an SUV of some sort with Elena.

Two: We were no longer in Mystic Falls.

Whoever had taken us clearly wanted us for something, and I was willing to bet it had something to do with that damn stone. I mean, it was either the stone or we were being sold into some form of sex slavery.

Feeling the jolt from the brakes, I intently listened as the engine was shut off, and the driver's door opened and closed. From the tinted side window, I could see the kidnapper, who appeared to be male and ironically dressed in black, donning the ever original sunglasses and ball cap, walked to the back of the vehicle.

_I'm beginning to suspect that kidnappers must attend some sort of weird training seminar...I mean really? Sunglasses and ball cap?!_

The back hatch door opened up as he leaned in, grabbing us both as he effortlessly carried us inside the run down house as if we weighed next to nothing. From what I was able to see of it, the house reminded me of a former plantation house, though judging from the poor state of it, it had been left to Mother Nature and she hadn't been kind.

Walking into the open room, he flew down the stairs using an inhuman speed, maneuvering us over to the red velour covered couch that looked like it hadn't seen a vacuum cleaner in at least two decades. Depositing us none too gently onto it, he set about untying and removing the gag.

From his extremely pale complexion, I surmised that he was a vampire. _You know, I'm finding it much more shocking when I run into someone who is entirely human._

I sat back against the couch in silence as he moved to do the same to Elena, who as soon as the gag was removed, bombarded him with questions. I could sense he was becoming agitated with her relentless pleas as the veins under his eyes became noticeable, flowing up to his eyes, filling them so they turned red. His fangs elongated, ready to pierce the flesh for a taste of Elena, pratically salivating in anticipation.

As he started to close in on Elena, I made the split decision move, I shoved him, the force was hard enough that it knocked him a few feet away from us as a female vampire entered the room. She must've heard everything as she looked between us and the male on the floor. Rolling her eyes, she quickly reprimanded the man who now had a name, Trevor.

Elena, who had been cowering into the corner of the couch, trembling from nearly becoming an afternoon snack, made a quick recovery as she started again with her endless questions.

"What do you want with us?" She asked, trembling slightly as she stood up.

"Oh my God." The female replied in surpise. "You look just like her." I silently made the connection as to who she was referring to..._Katherine._ This was not going to end well for us.

"But I'm not." Elena argued, shaking her head. "Please, whatever you-" She started to plead but was interrupted by the rather rude vampire.

"Be quiet." She warned, but that did nothing to deter Elena.

"But I'm not Katherine." Elena reiterated. "My name is Elena Gilbert; you don't have to do this." She insisted.

I closed my eyes, inwardly groaning as Elena continued to blatantly ignore the vampire's warning for her to shut up.

"What do you want?" Elena asked again. Before I could intervene to stop it, the vampire drew her arm back, backhanding Elena across the face with such force that Elena flew back harshly against the couch, unconscious.

That was the final straw for me. I moved with such speed that in the blink of an eyes, I was standing toe to toe with her, my eyes turning from green to blinding silver.

"I wouldn't touch her again if I were you." I threatened menacingly, feeling the blood in my veins begining to boil. The vampire took a step back, narrowing her eyes as she scanned me over, her gaze pausing when it landed on my necklace.

"Alixiah?" She whispered, causing me to blink in surpise. "Alixiah Mikaelson?"

Her eyes were as wide as saucers as I looked at her in confusion, feeling everything melt away. My eyes returned to their normal hue as I tried to figure out how in the hell she knew my real first name. No one knew my real name, no one aside from my family. I never introduced myself as 'Alixiah', it was always 'Alix', not even Damon knew it...and I'd known him for over a hundred years.

But the really confusing thing about this whole situation (kidnapping aside)...was the fact that she called me 'Alixiah Mikaelson', what the hell was up with that?! I had never gone by that alias.

"What did you just say, Rose?" Trevor blurred over to her, taking a long look at me as well. _Well, at least I can stop referring to her as the 'female vampire'._

"I don't believe it, it's Alixiah Mikaelson...Elijah's wife." She said, still in shock. Her expression mimicked her buddy's...pure disbelief.

_Alright...hold the fucking phone...wife?! They think I'm someone's wife? Yeah, I don't think so, I think you got the wrong woman, vampiria._

"Actually, it's Winchester. Alix Winchester." I corrected. "I don't know who this 'Alixiah Mikaelson' is, but I think there's been a mistake."

As we continued to stare at one another, my brain decided it was a good time to have one of those 'flashbacks' from my dreams, but this time it was starring this 'Rose' chick standing in front of me.

In this flashback, she had much longer hair, which was lighter in color and wavy. We were in a deserted hallway, she was holding onto my forearms, frantically looking in every direction as she spoke to me in a hushed tone. I couldn't make out everything she said, except 'Klaus' and 'run'.

"Well the last time I saw you, it was Mikaelson." Her snarky comment seemed to pull me from my mind, bringing me back to the present.

"The last time you saw me?" I blinked, scrunching my eyebrows together as I tried to make sense of what had just happened and her comment. After the flashback I had just experienced, she felt familiar to me...but I didn't understand how or why.

"The last time I saw you was about 500 years ago." I nearly choked on my own spit at her words. "And I know that you are Alixiah Mikaelson, because we used to be very close." Rose said solemly, sound almost sad as she spoke of such times.

I didn't know what to say to that, I tried numerous times, but came up with nothing aside from looking like a fis out of water. Inhaling a deep breath, I cast a glance back to Elena's still form. I need more answers, and if Rose knew me as well as she claimed, she might hold the key to figuring out what had really happened to me. I knew I was going to have to barter the information out of her, but I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass me by, information overload be damned.

"I have a proposition for you." I said, my voice cracking under the pressure of my nerves. "I'm willing to do whatever you ask of me, promising to not cause you any problems, if you are willing to answer just a few questions of mine." I think my proposition caught them off guard as they looked at each other, silently weighing my request. I bit my lip in nervous anticipation while I waited to hear their verdict.

Rose turned her gaze back upon me, silently accepting my deal as she nodded and gestured towards the door at the top of the staircase.

Giving Elena one last look, I followed behind the two vampires up the stairs. As I reached the doorway, I hesitated, which was a bad move on my part as it caused Rose to stop, eyeing my suspiciously. She looked ready to pounce if I had entertained even the slightest inclination of bolting.

I looked down at my attire, noticing for the first time that I was still in my dress from the party last night. The damn thing was way too confining, and was becoming alarmingly uncomfortable.

"I really hate to ask more of you, but you wouldn't happen to have any spare jeans and a shirt that I could temporarily borrow, would you?" I asked sheepishly as I picked at the hem of my dress.

Rose's face remained unreadable, causing me to think that perhaps I had overstepped my bounds as the captive; that was until she smiled. Reaching for my arm, she led me down the hallway, pushing me into a dimly lit spare room.


	3. Blast From The Past?

**Author Note: Sorry for the delay of updating this story, I just returned from taking my youngest son to the E.R. due to a reaction from the medicine they put him on, but I promise that I will update soon. Again credit goes to the writers of the episode 'Rose' for I used some of the dialogue.**

_"Sometimes the past is something that you can't let go of, and sometimes the past is something we'll do anything to forget. Sometimes we learn something new about the past that changes everything we know about the present."-Meredith Grey_

I could feel Rose's eyes upon me as I slipped out of the dress, carelessly tossing it to the side of the room. You might be wondering why I'm so calm about undressing in front of another person, well...that's because I wasn't one for being overly concerned about modesty. That doesn't mean I like to undress for every Tom, Dick and Harry that gives me a second glance, no. I just tune it out...especially with Rose because not only was she of the same sex and me, but I was performing what you might call a little show of faith; allowing her to see that I wasn't hiding any weapons anywhere.

_The one freaking time I leave all my shit in the damn car._

I reached out for the jeans that Rose had set out for me, deciding that now would be a good opportunity to get some answers, seeing as Trevor was off sun-proofing somewhere, it left me and Rose completely alone.

"Do you mind if I ask what you're planning on doing with us?" I asked, watching Rose toy with her bottom lip before answering.

"Originally we planned on using the doppelganger as the bargaining chip for buying back our freedom from Elijah." She admitted. "But seeing as we have you as well, you are what is going to seal the deal for us." I slowly nodded as she handed me the white tank top and brown jacket.

"Why would you need to buy your freedom from Elijah?" I asked, slipping on the top and jacket. I reached down, quickly pulling on the knee high riding boots Rose had graciously lent to me. I didn't bother messing with my hair; it was up and out of the way.

"We've been on the run for five hundred years because one of us made the mistake of trusting Katerina Petrova, or Katherine Pierce as you might know her." Rose stated, her tone laced with disdain as she spoke of Katherine. "She decided to run away, and Elijah had entrusted to Trevor the job of bringing her back. But he didn't...instead he trusted Katherine above all. She used his love for her to obtain what she wanted, signing our death warrants. It's a mistake we've spent the last five hundred years regretting." Rose said remorsefully.

Well that explained a lot about Katherine. While she and Elena shared the same innocent looking face; it was their personalities that told them apart. Katherine's told a story of someone who was out for pure self-preservation, showing how truly ungrateful she was toward the poor souls that she encompassed into helping her.

"Yeah, I got the feeling that screwing people over was her M.O." I snorted. "Now, you mentioned earlier that this 'Elijah' was or is my husband, is he the same one you're trying to buy your freedom from?"

Rose stared at me, her eyebrows rising at my question.

"You don't remember him?" She asked, her tone suggesting that I had to be joking.

"I wouldn't have asked you if I did. I mean, I don't know you and apparently according to you we were close at one time." I snapped unintentionally. "But...for some reason, I feel like I should know you." Do you have any idea how freaking hard it is to try to explain to someone, '_Look, I know that you know me, but I don't know you...though I feel I should.'_

"What do you mean?" Rose moved closer towards me, slowly closing in on my personal space.

"I've been having these weird dreams lately, where I'm in a castle and there appears to be some kind of party going on. There are a lot of people but I don't recognize them or the surroundings…but there is this one man who keeps standing out to me." I shrugged.

"This man, what did he look like?" Rose pressed, curiosity clearly claiming the better of her. I closed my eyes, hoping to pull the image of the man who appeared to me in my dreams night after night.

"He's tall, almost regal looking in the way he carries himself. He has long, wavy brown hair that flows to his shoulders; he has a strong jawline that would give away his moods, like if he was upset or deep in thought. But it's his eyes…those dark brown eyes that make you feel like he can see into your soul." I described, opening my eyes to see Rose just inches from me.

_Apparently no one's ever heard of personal space have they?_

"You realize you just described Elijah, don't you?" My eyes grew wide as I slowly shook my head. "The answer to your question is yes, he is the same one." My face scrunched up in confusion as I still couldn't grasp the concept of why a vampire would need to buy her freedom from another person. "Elijah is the oldest vampire of our kind; he's an Original, which makes him stronger and faster than me."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain why you need me to seal the deal for you, let alone why I can't seem to remember you or him." I growled in frustration. "I've never had any kind of memory problems before, hell I can still remember the name and face of the woman who took me in when I was just a few months old…and that was a long ass time ago."

"Klaus, it had to have been Klaus that did this to you." Rose revealed after a quiet moment. Her revelation was lost on me as I had no idea who the hell she was talking about, my blank look indicating that I was following her train of thought. "Klaus happens to be Elijah's brother."

"Okay, but again that doesn't help explain why you need me or what he being related to Klaus has to do with this…you know what…I just don't understand this whole situation period." I groaned, the little Q & A was quickly driving me to the brink of insanity.

"Because they are both connected; you and Elijah were married a long time ago in a secret ceremony. When Klaus found out, he took it personally because he saw you as Elijah's weakness. So he took away the one thing that Elijah loved as much as his own family…you. We were all the under the assumption that he killed you with the way he talked." Rose spat, her tone laced with venom every time she spoke this 'Klaus' character's name.

_Jesus Christ…that is one fucked up family…_

"Well, that at least answers the question of why you looked so astonished when you saw me." I muttered under my breath, knowing full well that Rose could see hear it. But there was still one lingering question that wouldn't leave me, the one unanswered question that still needed to be solved. "How do you know for sure that I'm her?"

In an instant, Rose was so close to me that the tips of our noses touched as her eyes bore into mine. She reached up, grasping onto my necklace. My gaze flashed wildly between her hand and her eyes as I tried to figure out just what in the hell she was doing. Her actions answered my silent question as she tugged on the delicate chain, snapping it from my neck. I gasped as I watched it fall limply into her open palm.

"Elijah gave you this ring the night you were married, I know this because I was your only witness." My eyes flew back to meet hers as my jaw dropped. _She was fucking there?!_ "If you don't believe that, then perhaps you'll believe this…the Alixiah I knew had a birthmark on her left shoulder in the shape of the North Star." She smirked as I removed the left part of the jacket, revealing the same mark in the exact location, just as she said.

_She probably saw it when I was wearing the dress or while I was changing…this proves nothing! Points from trying , though._

I opened my mouth to argue when Trevor barged into the room, his actions frantic as if he were on the verge of a serious meltdown.

"He's here!" He shouted, startling me with his outburst. "This was a mistake." Trevor began to frantically pace back and forth in front of the open door.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I spotted Elena as she poked her head around the corner of the doorway, flashing me a relieved smile as she saw that I was alive and well. Rose having recovered from her initial shock of the news, decided to take control of the situation. She stalked over to Trevor, placing her hands on his shoulders to prevent him from pacing.

"No! I told you I would get us out of this. You have to trust me." Rose implored, trying to reassure him though it seemed to fall upon deaf ears.

"No!" Trevor argued, shaking his head fervently. "He wants me _dead_, Rose!"

"He's going to want _her_ more." Rose pointed out, turning Trevor's head in my direction. Elena threw me a confused look when Rose mentioned this. I shrugged, playing dumb to Rose's statement.

"I can't do this. You give her to him; he'll have mercy on you. But I need to get out of here." Trevor pleaded, his voice trembling with fear.

"Hey!" Rose shouted, snapping Trevor out of his panicked haze. "What are we?"

"We're family." Trevor stated in a calmer voice. "Forever."

In the distances, a loud knock echoed through the nearly empty house, causing Trevor's anxiety to return full force.

"You're scared." Elena realized, her seemingly innocent observation earning her a withering scowl from Rose.

"Take her back to the room. Stay with her and don't make a sound." Rose ordered, pushing Trevor towards Elena as she grabbed ahold of my arm, tugging me along with her.

Upon entering the foyer, the front door let out an eerie creaking noise as it began to open. Panicking, Rose quickly shoved me into a side room, which turned out to be the kitchen. Throwing me a quick glance, Rose wordlessly pleaded with me to stay quiet and out of sight.

I quickly nodded as I looked around the ruins of the former kitchen, hoping to find an opening that would allow me to watch the exchange. Luck was on my side as I happened upon a small hole in the wall, located next to the barely hanging on waiter door. This position not only granted me access into the next room, but also gave me a line of sight to the front door.

The man standing on the front porch was so stunning at it literally knocked the wind out of my lungs. He looked different from when he appeared in my dreams; his hair was shorter and the fact that he was donning a well-tailored suit…did I mention that a well-tailored suit is like catnip for women…especially me? (*Cues ZZ Top's "Sharp-Dressed Man"*)

But while he had all the appearances of a modern day gentleman…there was something else about him…something that lurked beneath the surface. ..'_Tread lightly'_ popped into my head.


	4. Unlocking Memories (Part One)

**A/N: So I am just about finished with the proof-reading of the next chapter. Again I own nothing except my OC...and credit goes to the writers of 'Rose' ..since I used some of the dialogue. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my ramblings, favoriting and following. You have no idea how much is means to me.**

_"__Bottom line is, even if you see 'em coming, you're not ready for the big moments. No one asks for their life to change, not really. But it does. So what are we, helpless? Puppets? No. The big moments are gonna come, you can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are."-Joss Whedon_

**(* This portion of the story will be told in the third person point of view*)**

Elijah stood at the entrance of the dilapidated structure, smirking to himself as he watched the way Rose cautiously approached. She stopped herself a good few feet away from him; her fearful demeanor was almost intoxicating to him.

_'__At least she has the decency to be afraid, even after all these years.'_ Elijah thought to himself .

"Rose-Marie." Elijah greeted, his hand still holding onto the doorknob. "Is there somewhere we could talk?"

"Yes, in here." Rose nodded, gesturing towards the room sitting on the right (depending on what way you're looking at it.) "You have to forgive the house."

Upon entering the house, Elijah's eyes scanned around the area, knowing that it was their fear of his notorious wrath that had driven them to such…desperate conditions.

"Oh no, what's a little dirt? I completely understand." Elijah smiled smugly, his tone downright condescending. He casually wandered into the sitting room with Rose trailing reluctantly behind him. "So tell me, what is it that gives you the courage to call me?" He inquired, getting right to the point.

"I wanted my freedom. I'm tired of running." Rose unabashedly admitted. "Are you in a position to grant me that?"

To the outside eye, Rose appeared calm and somewhat collected, though she wouldn't deny that she feared this powerful man standing in front of her. Inside, she was meticulously praying that for once, the odds were going to fall in her favor.

Elijah crossed the room, making his way towards the unused fireplace, nonchalantly inspecting the craftsmanship.

"I have complete authority to grant pardon to you and your little pet, what is his name these days?" Elijah paused briefly before speaking his name, as if the moment he mentioned it, he would end up with a foul aftertaste in his mouth. "Trevor, if I so see fit."

"Katerina Petrova?"

Elijah turned to face Rose, the expression upon his well-defined features indicated that Rose had piqued his interest. He moved from where he was standing to the musty chair that sat against the wall, gracefully taking a seat.

"I'm listening." Elijah urged.

"She didn't burn in the church in 1864." Elijah's demeanor remained stoic as he looked up at her expectantly.

"Continue." He nodded.

"She survived."

_'__Of course she did.'_ Elijah thought sarcastically. If there was one thing that never ceased to amaze him, it was Katerina's innate ability to survive nearly anything that was thrown her way.

"Where is she?" Elijah asked leaning forward in the chair.

This was when Rose started to put the pieces of the puzzle together. She found it odd that he remained unaffected by the news that Katerina was alive, she had expected any other kind of reaction except for this one.

"You don't seem surprised by this." Rose realized. She felt as if her stomach had just bottomed out. She knew deep down that if she wanted to be successful in getting her and Trevor out of this mess, she was going to have to step it up.

"Oh, when you called and invited me into this armpit of civilization, which is a mere three hours away from the town we know as Mystic Falls, I surmised it had everything to do with Katerina." He replied cooly. "Do you have her in your possession?"

"No, but I have better. I have her doppelganger." Rose said, fighting back the urge to smirk as Elijah's face changed upon this new development.

"That's impossible." Elijah argued. "Her family line ended with her, I know that for a fact." Elijah leaned back into the chair.

"The facts are wrong." Rose insisted.

"Well, show her to me." He challenged, having no qualms about blatantly calling her bluff.

"Elijah, you are a man of honor, you are to be trusted…but I want to hear you say it again." Rose begged as she took a step towards him. She needed this verbal confirmation from him before they proceeded.

"You have my word that I will pardon you." Elijah assured her, slightly smirking as she took it at face value, not bothering to really think about what he had just said. Instead, she simply just nodded.

Elijah moved to stand up, ready to meet the potential 'doppelganger' when Rose brought her hand up stopping him. This action irritated the older vampire.

"There is another reason why we called you here."

"Is there?" Elijah perked up, wondering what the other reason could possibly be.

"During our expedition to acquire the doppelganger, we stumbled across someone we thought to have died a long time ago." Rose said, pausing to lick her parched lips. "We found her."

"Found who?" Elijah asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. He didn't know what to make of her rather cryptic statement.

"We found Alixiah."

Well, Rose had wanted his attention and she definitely got it…just not exactly how she had hoped. The moment that the name left her lips, Elijah bolted upright out of the chair. In a 'blink and you missed it' moment, Rose found herself pinned against the wall with Elijah's large hand wrapped tightly around her throat.

"You're lying." He growled, increasing the pressure on her throat. "You know as well as I do that's she's been dead for five hundred years. Klaus made sure of it."

"I'm not lying! It's really her, I swear." Rose breathlessly pleaded. In a desperate attempt to validate her statement, she reached into her pocket, producing the ring she had taken from Alix earlier. "Look, Elijah….it's really her. She's here."

Elijah cast a glance down at the ring in Rose's palm, blinking a few times as he realized what exactly Rose was holding within her hand. He quickly snatched it up from her, releasing her throat from his crushing grip. He looked at the ring closely, taking the time to inspect and study the ring, looking for any marks that would prove this was a fake.

The part that Elijah found extremely troubling; he couldn't find any.

There was no logical explanation that he could possibly fathom that would explain how this ring had come into Rose's possession…except one; she must be telling the truth. There was no denying that this was the ring, the exact ring he had given to Alixiah during their secret ceremony.

After hearing Klaus's admission in the part he played in her 'disposal', he had placed the ring into her jewelry box, burying it along with all her other important possessions in a secret location. He was the only one privy to that location…or so he thought.

Rose leaned against the wall for support as she regulated her breathing, watching Elijah with a cautious gaze. She kept herself on the ready in case Elijah opted for another go at her.

"Are you absolutely certain that it's her?" Elijah asked, his tone no longer harsh, but sounded soft…almost hopeful. He tore his gaze away from the ring to look at Rose.

Rose suddenly felt as if she had been placed under a microscope the way he was eyeing her, scrutinizing every facial expression. It seemed as though he was searching for the smallest hint of doubt, proving that she was trying to play him for her own benefit. Elijah steeled himself, refusing to falsely grow hopeful if only to have it ripped from him.

"There is no doubt that it is her. When I found her, I thought she looked familiar. I wasn't until I saw her wearing the ring around her neck that I was absolutely sure." Rose said, pausing before she told him the next part…which he wasn't going to like. "There is something you need to know, and you're not going to like it."

"And what, pray tell, is that?" He snarled, his mind automatically assuming the worst possible thing.

"I think Klaus did something to her because she has no recollection of us." Rose watched Elijah's eyes almost cloud with sadness…while his face remained emotionless. "There is an upside to this, Elijah. She's been having dreams of the past…she was able to describe you perfectly. I think that her mind is fighting against whatever Klaus has done."

Elijah's head was swirling, trying to let what Rose had just revealed sink in. He felt like a fool for assuming the worst…thinking that a powerful being like her could be done away with so easily. While he instantly wanted to find Klaus and rip him apart, he knew that needed to be patient…Klaus would pay for taking everything away from him, he would see to it personally.

As Elijah's mind began to register that she was alive and in the same house, he found himself not caring about the fact that she couldn't remember him, which was something he could easily remedy with an acquaintance of his. All that mattered to him right now was that his wife was alive.

"Bring her to me, please." He said.

It was the 'please' that nearly broke Rose's reserve. Elijah was many things; ruthless, dignified, honorable. But it was rare when he was making a deal with someone who had wronged him that he said please.

All Rose could do was nod, calling out for Alix.

**(*Alix's POV*)**

Having witnessed the interaction between Rose and Elijah, and now hearing my name being called; I was dumbstruck as to what I should do now. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all, I knew that I couldn't possibly be the same 'Alixiah' he remembered, that alone could jeopardize Rose and Trevor's chance for freedom.

Hearing Rose call out my name again, I took a deep breath. I knew that while this could end badly, I needed to try. Willing my body into motion, I pushed against the wonky ass door, taking slow and deliberate steps into the room. I lifted my head up, turning it to finally face the man who had plagued my dreams for so long. My heart rate began to pick up, thrashing against my ribcage like a wild, untamed beast.

My eyes darted to Rose, who appeared to be holding her breathing, waiting to see how this was going to play out. My gaze shifted back to Elijah as I stopped a few feet in front of him, purposely keep distance between us. I could feel his eyes scanning me over, memorizing every inch and detail…as if mentally comparing the image to the one from centuries ago. His eyes finally drifted up to mine, locking them into an unbreakable bond almost. In that moment, my body was hit with this strange feeling, as though I had known him for years.

It was then I realized that there might be some truth to what Rose had revealed earlier.

"Leave us, Rose. I'll rejoin you shortly to deal with the other matter." Elijah commanded, never once breaking eye contact with me.

Rose hesitated momentarily before she left the room, heading back to where Trevor and Elena were. Elijah continued to hold my gaze with him as he flashed in front of me, closing the distance between us.

He lifted his hand, pushing on the left side of my jacket ever so gently, exposing my naked shoulder to him. During this time I couldn't breathe, I didn't dare move as I forced myself to look away, keeping my eyes trained straight ahead as I felt the pad of his thumb caress my birthmark.

"It really is you." Elijah murmured in amazement as he leaned down, ghosting his lips across the mark.

I took in a ragged breath as my body began to respond to this simple yet very intimate gesture. The sensations his lips were invoking created a sense of dejavu, as if my body was trying to remind me that this was how I felt when he would touch me.

As my body started to give itself over to the sensations, I moved my hand up to his head, pushing my fingers through his soft brown locks. Elijah froze under my ministrations, as if pressing pause to relish in the familiar feeling he'd once forgotten. He pulled back from my shoulder, bringing his hand up to cover mine, guiding it from his hair down to his cheek, leaning into my touch.

"Hello." I whispered, utterly enthralled by the mere presences of him.

"Hello there." He smiled; his voice so smooth is was like liquid velvet. "I'd been waiting for a long time to see you again, Sweetheart."

I felt his other hand graze across the back of my neck, causing a spark to ignite my nerves. This was when my brain decided to let its dark intentions be known. _'I wonder what his lips would feel like against mine.'_ My brain purred in a seductive manner…such a shameless hussy at times.

**_You shut your dirty mouth brain! We know this guy, so no!_**

Apparently my brain was none too pleased with being denied, seeing as it decided to override my motor functions, drawing my face closer to his, zeroing in on its intended target…his lips.

The moment our lips touched, there was a spark that shot through me, awakening something inside of me that had long lain dormant. His lips were insanely soft, seeming to fit against perfectly. Lips?! The rational side of my brain seemed to break through the smutty haze, commandeering control to alert me to what I was actually doing. I quickly pulled back, feeling my face heat up with embarrassment.

_Please let the Earth open up and swallow me whole right now!_

"Oh Jesus, I am so sorry. I-I don't know what came over-" Elijah's lips covered mine enthusiastically, cutting off my sentence.

I gasped at the suddenness of his actions, allowing Elijah the perfect opportunity to gracefully slip his tongue into my mouth, enticing mine to play with his. The hand nestled on the back of my neck was now wound into my hair, holding me expertly in place as he continued his exploration of my mouth. I grabbed onto the front of his suit jacket, using it to steady myself as I felt my knees buckle.

We parted a few moments later, both of us painfully aware that he still had unfinished business that required his attention. Elijah nuzzled his nose against mine as he placed on last chaste kiss upon my lips.

"Will you wait for me here while I see to one last piece of business?" He asked, gently tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

"Yes." I nodded.

Elijah gave me one last look before he turned to leave, following in the direction that Rose had previously used. Once I was alone in the room, I exhaled the breath I didn't realize I was holding. I was feeling slightly dazed from the overwhelming information I had received, not to mention that knee-knocking kiss. You remember me mentioning information over-load? Well…the little shit caught up with me.

I moved to sit down in the chair, deciding it was better to sit down rather than ungracefully pass out on the dingy floor.

Sitting there, I tried to wrap my head around everything that had just happened, silently wondering if Elena was okay. The creaking from the floorboards pulled me from my thoughts, making me looking in the direction I heard the noise.

I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

There in the foyer stood Stefan and Damon, both frozen mid-motion as they had just picked up on my presence. The look on their faces must've matched mine…shock and confusion as to what the other was doing here.

Damon wasted no time, swiftly moving over to me. He motioned for me to stay quiet as he lifted me up into his arms. As he quickly removed me from the room, there was a feeling in the pit of my stomach, this dark, nauseating feeling that something was about to go horrifically wrong.


End file.
